That old bad guy Douglas Dumbrille is back in action in this like crime drama that stars Lloyd Nolan and Ann Sothern, and features some unique looking radio equipment in a story that has radio broadcasts blocked with an annoying loud buzz and the attempts to extort money to end the issue. Good performances, particularly by Berton Churchill and Dumbrille, liven up this enjoyable B Movie where Lloyd Nolan is framed and later kidnapped, while his singer girlfriend Ann Sothern desperately tries to first clear him then find him, not knowing that her boss is responsible.
Fast moving with a good, tight script, this has moments of song and like comedy amongst the crime, with Churchill delightfully barking orders and rejecting the help of younger staff members who know more about the radio connection issues than he does. It's also apparent that Dumbrille has a thing for Sothern and is jealous of her friendship with Nolan. The unique idea of someone having control over a broadcast signal was obviously fresh at the time, although today, it seems like something off the front pages. But 85 years ago, I'm sure this was very fresh, so in that perspective it plays as a very unique story and ahead of its time.
Fast moving with a good, tight script, this has moments of song and like comedy amongst the crime, with Churchill delightfully barking orders and rejecting the help of younger staff members who know more about the radio connection issues than he does. It's also apparent that Dumbrille has a thing for Sothern and is jealous of her friendship with Nolan. The unique idea of someone having control over a broadcast signal was obviously fresh at the time, although today, it seems like something off the front pages. But 85 years ago, I'm sure this was very fresh, so in that perspective it plays as a very unique story and ahead of its time.